What I Left Behind
by Kikomimo727
Summary: After several night-time visits with Tony, Ziva finds herself pregnant. She leaves America and a clueless Tony, to protect her children. Seven years later, Ziva returns, but will Tony find out that he's a father?
1. My Time to Go

Title: What I Left Behind

Rating: T

Summary: After breaking up with Jeanne, Tony finds solace in Ziva's company during the lonely nights. Once Ziva discovers that she's pregnant, she skips the country, leaving a clueless Tony. After seven years, Ziva returns to NCIS, but will Tony ever find out that he's a father?

Disclaimer: All characters belong to the creators and producers of NCIS, not me (unfortunately)

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Ziva rolled over gently in the bed, gazing upon her partner's sleeping face. It had been three weeks or so after Tony and Jeanne had split, and for most of the nights after, he'd consoled himself by spending the night with Ziva. Oh, she knew he was using her to get over Jeanne, and she knew she shouldn't have let him in the first place. But he seemed to be her weakness; after crushing on him for nearly a year, Ziva found she couldn't refuse him what could heal him; even though she'd pay the price once he actually decided to move on.

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she changed back into last night's clothes, and quickly exited his apartment before he could wake. During the day, they continued acting as normal, as if their separate night life had never existed. Ziva drove down the familiar streets to her apartment, and let herself into the empty rooms. Here in America, she had no one here besides her NCIS family, and her 2 bedroom apartment just felt much to big for the Mossad agent. The rooms were always empty, and no one had even seen this apartment besides Director Shepard, who had set up the living arrangements for Ziva's stay. Entering the rooms, she tied her hair up and away from her face, expecting the morning's onslaught of illness. For the past couple of days, her stomach was as topsy turvy as a….. merry-go-…up? She the local drug store to pick up the pregnancy test with the suspicion, and the results were just as she'd feared; positive. After upheaving her stomach, she changed into a more comfortable set of clothes; black sweatpants and a larger NCIS sweatshirt.

Her apartment was now packed in boxes, which would be sent out several days after her. All she would be bringing was a simple track bag. No, she couldn't appear suspicious. She felt only slightly guilty that she'd be cheating the Team out of their proper good-byes, but she couldn't deal with their twenty questions, and McGee and Tony would never let her leave the premises. Ziva knew that Gibbs would be disappointed, but she was sure that Jenny would inform him of the true causes once she was safely out of the country. Those two would be the only ones beside her father and a few select friends that would even know of the child's existence.

Before she knew it, she had arrived at the NCIS, and Ziva trudged up the steps of the NCIS building, and strolled through the bullpen.

"So, Zee-vah, you're lookin' a bit unhappy. Whatever it was, it was McGee!" Tony exclaimed, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head. McGee strolled into the room as he heard his name, and looked around quizzically until he dropped it and continued on to his own desk.

"Fit as a bango, Tony."

"Fiddle. Fit as a _fiddle_, Ziva." Her partner rolled his eyes, and began surfing the Internet, occasionally glancing at the picture of Jeanne on his desk. Ziva continued up the stairs to MTAC, where she'd requested the meeting between Jenny, her father, and herself.

**In MTAC**

Standing next to Ziva, Director Shepard could sense some tension in the room the second that Ziva wandered through the door. The assassin hadn't even uttered a hello, and from the looks of the track bag, it seemed that Ziva might be saying good-bye much sooner. Ziva lowered herself into one of the plush chairs, but Jenny chose to stay standing. The screen soon flickered to life, and Director David's face appeared on the large monitor.

"Thank you, Director, for meeting with us today. I'm sorry to say that Ziva will no longer be able to operate at your NCIS headquarters."

Jenny's face stayed neutral, but couldn't believe that she'd be losing her old friend once more. "Care to explain why?"

The Israeli Director looked pointedly at Ziva, and the woman lifted herself from the chair hesitantly. "Jenny… I'm pregnant. With Tony's child." Ziva looked to her feet solemly, adjusting the bag on her shoulder. "I wish to start over somewhere new, to ensure my child's safety. I'm sure you understand that."

The Director looked over the Mossad Agent, andcould notice the baggier clothing, most likely to hide the new and tiny bump. "Does Tony know?" She strode several steps closer to Ziva, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"No. No one can find out Jenny. Tell Gibbs, I know you would like to, but no one else. Ever." The Israeli reached into her pocket and extracted a small slip of paper from her sweatpants. "I'm leaving the country. If you ever need to contact me, call my father or visit me at this address. I'd welcome a visit from you or Gibbs in the future." A small smile appeared on Ziva's face, and her eyes got a bit of a far away look for a moment. "There won't be anything for McGee or Abby to trace, and I want you to make sure that they don't find me. I'll be using my other name, Zivanita Davida, for the time being, and I'll receive a new cell phone shortly after. My flight is in an hour."

The room was deathly quiet, seeing that Jenny had sent away any unneeded technicians who might overhear. "If that's what you think is best," Jenny whispered, accepting the small slip of paper. She pulled Ziva into a tight hug, and she could hear her friend's quiet tears. Pulling away slightly, she took a look over Ziva, and stepped back a bit. "And don't worry about the team. We'll take care of them. And you can expect a visit from Gibbs and I very soon."

Ziva walked towards the door, drying any remaining tears, before turning back slightly. "Thanks Jenny," she muttered, before closing the door, and slipping quietly out of the building.


	2. Across the Ocean Blue

**Dear Readers,**

**I'd love to thank those who've reviewed so far, and if you have any questions or suggestions, I'd love to hear them! And to answer ______, you'll definitely see some of the crazy pregnant Ziva, but those will come in the form of flashbacks, rather than in real-time. I'll be showing some scenes of Ziva and the children, and that will lead up to the 'real time'. Although, I am willing to add in more or less pregnant Ziva/mother Ziva scenes, depending on what you guys want! Also, this story will be updated every 1-2 weeks, and if you have any ideas or questions, just review, and I'll answer in the next Author's Note!**

**Thanks,**

**Kikomimo727**

**P.S. The song of the last chapter was…. Ready, Set, Go by Tokio Hotel**

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_8 months later_

Tony sat in his desk chair, banging his head against his desk as his new partner continued rambling. _Sonia_ didn't seem to get the clue that he wasn't listening to her life story, and since McGee hadn't yet arrived, he was stuck there listening to Sonia's evening.

"And so _then_ he was like, 'You're perfect!', and I was like, 'Awww', and then he kissed me, and it was so perfect…!" The woman squealed with delight, and she couldn't stop playing with her hair. She was the exact opposite of Ziva, tony thought. Painted nails, curled blonde hair, and a nasally voice that would talk of some of the most feminine things, like the newest Prada line. Tony couldn't fathom how this bimbo had secured a spot on Gibbs' team, but apparently she went to MIT, and her grandfather just happened to be the Secretary of the Navy.

Thankfully, McGee arrived then in the bullpen, and Sonia set to the task of filling him in on the story of her romantic evening. _Romance_, Tony thought, scowling slightly. Ever since Jeanne had broken up with him and his little Israeli fled the country, he'd only had one-night-stands at the local clubs. Director Shepard had told the team the Ziva was required back at Mossad immediately, and couldn't report whether or not Ziva was returning. While Gibbs and the Director weren't around, Abby and McGee had set to tracing Ziva; or, well, _trying_ to trace Ziva. Besides transfer papers, they hadn't been able to find even an airport ticket or a cell phone number. It was like their friend had disappeared off of the face of the planet.

"Any hits, McGee?" Tony questioned, glancing over at the tech-whiz typing away on his computer.

"Nope," he replied, popping the 'p'. "Tony, it's been eight months. If they wanted her to be found, we'd have found her." McGee shook his head to himself, turning back to the monitor. Tony had been much more melancholy and mellow since Ziva's departure, and Tim could catch the slight gleam of hope in his teammate's eye whenever the Mossad agent was mentioned. Shaking his head slightly, McGee turned back to his computer, and began filing some of the casework.

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In Italy…

"Alright… On three… One, two, three… PUSH!" Ziva let out a strangled cry, and Gibbs flinched slightly. He had pulled the short stick, and now had to wait at the head of Ziva's bed, while she tried to squeeze his hand off. He had taken off of work for a month or so with Jenny, saying that they had an undercover operation in Europe to attend to. Jenny was currently sitting in the lobby of the maternity ward, claiming that she had a 'weak stomach' at the moment.

Ziva unclasped her hand from his, and Gibbs sighed slightly at the relief, before she grabbed his shirt and pulled him down so that he could hear her. "Gibbs," she breathed, "when you return to D.C…. hit Tony. Very,_ very_, hard." Ziva growled, and all he found himself doing was nod briefly, before she clutched his hand for dear life.

"One more time, and the first one will be out! One… Two… Three… PUSH!" A faint cry echoed through the room, and the doctors quickly cleaned the baby and checked it over, before wrapping it up. "Second one's coming… One… Two… Three… PUSH!" This time, the baby didn't cry, and the doctor's quickly cleaned out the baby's airway before an even weaker cry was emitted. "Ok, last time..." The doctor was trying to be encouraging, but the Mossad agent was just about ready to pop his head off. "PUSH!" The last cry came, the loudest of the three, and Ziva sighed in relief, wiping her hand across her forehead, which was now plastered in sweat. Believing the childbirth to be not as bad as expected, she had decided not to get any painkillers; a decision she regretted hours later.

Once the procedure was over, Jenny bustled into the room, snapping a picture of the exhausted Ziva. "Smile!" _Flash!_ "So… How'd it go?" The Director asked, glancing nervously between Gibbs and Ziva, before capturing a candid picture of the two.

"Ms…Davida? Would you like to meet your children?" A nurse invaded on the small party, wheeling in three beds, filled with three little infants. Ziva nodded wordlessly, her face slightly awestruck. Jenny took the time to snap another photo of her friend, standing next to Gibbs on the opposite side of the bed. "It's a girl, and two boys," the nurse said, lifting the first baby, swaddled in a pink blanket, and placing her gently in her arms. The nurse also withdrew the clipboards, reviewing the charts, and ready to take down the infant's name.

Ziva accepted the little bundle, and lifted a finger to gently poke the baby's nose, before running her hand through her daughter's hair. "Natalia Jennifer Davida," she whispered, before handing the child gently to its namesake. The Director had a brilliant smile now upon her face, and accepted the baby, playing with the child, as the next bundle was handed to the new mother.

"Timoteo Jethro Davida," she smiled up at her friends. "We'll call him Timmy!" Ziva giggled slightly, imagining McGee here with them. She could see him now, very overwhelmed. Gibbs revealed a giant smile, obviously pleased that he'd have a little child to visit… now that his Kelly wasn't there. He accepted Little Timmy, and the child started to cry slightly in his arms, and the team leader was a little bewildered, before trying to calm the child.

Holding on to her youngest baby, the only of which that was still awake, she could see an almost exact copy of his father, looking back at her. "Lukah Anthony Davida. Luke." She cradled the little boy, and his eyes slowly drifted shut, as his mother gently rocked him to sleep.

Later that night, when the baby's were all asleep in the nursery, Gibbs pulled up a chair next to Ziva's hospital bed. "Tired?" He questioned, smilingly slightly.

"Most certainly," Ziva replied, running a hand through her tangled hair.

"So… What's with the names? They're a bit… unique?" Gibbs tried to phrase it nicely, and Ziva giggled slightly at his expression.

"All of their first names are Italian, just like… Tony. Natalia is a beautiful name, and it has 'tali' in it, my younger sister's name. Timoteo is after McGee, obviously and it's not an everyday name. Lukah… I've just loved that name, when I moved here, I read through Italian baby names books, and I fell in love with it," she explained, making some hand motions. "And I'm pretty sure you know why I picked the middle names; the three most important people I have in my life, you, Jenny, and Tony."

Gibbs nodded, scratching his head slightly. "But, why didn't you choose Hebrew names? We both know how important your culture is to you."

"Well, yes, it is. But, see, my children may never meet their father. So the least I can do is bring them up how he would want them to be raised; like full-blooded Italians. Besides, I must… what is it? Lay… down? I must lay down for a long while. My children would never be safe in Israel or the U.S. So by starting over, I can ensure their safety." Her talking sped up slightly, and the heart monitor began to speed up slightly as the anxiety set it.

"Whoa, calm down Ziva. Sounds like a plan. But what are you going to do once Jenny and I go back to the U.S? Sure, we'll visit, but how can you care for three newborns on your own?" Gibbs rested an arm on the hospital bed, glancing over at the sleeping Director in an armchair.

"Oh, I know you cannot stay. I've arranged for my good friends Arim and Carmit, from Israel, to stay permanently, to help with the children. Since I'm no longer to go on missions, I'll be working as an elite strategist, behind the scenes, and with many security measures." Ziva patted Gibbs' folded hands. "Trust me, I'll be fine."

"It's a good thing your father has friends in high places, David. And don't forget, you'll always have Jenny and me in the U.S. Just give us a call, and we'll be on the next flight out." He smiled, and the two hugged gently. "Now, get some rest. You'll be needing it when those little rascals start howling in the night!"

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**Ha! Bet you didn't see THREE babies coming! I've got all of their little traits stuck in my mind, and I can assure you, there'll never be a dull moment with the triplets around!**


	3. Leave it Alone

**Dear Readers,**

**Thanks for the reviews! Every time I see a new review, my day gets brighter!**

To answer to some reviews, yes, I know Gibbs might be a little out of character. In my story, Gibbs will become an important character in the children's lives, and I needed him included in the plotline. Also, I think Gibbs would be a bit more scared of a pregnant and hormonal Ziva!

Sorry for the most super-long delay ever! I thought I had lost the file, but it turns out I didn't! So, here's the next chapter! Hopefully I can start posting more regularly, and I appreciate your patience!

**The song for the last chapter is… Movin' On by Good Charlotee**

**Thanks,**

**Kikomimo727**

_In Italy_

Ziva gently rocked Timmy in her arms, hoping to coax the baby into sleep, for once in the night. The smallest of the babies was one of the fussiest, and it seemed that he was determined to make sure that his mother would never have a normal sleeping schedule. She gently lowered the sleeping boy into his crib, before turning around in the nursery. She strode over to Natalia's crib to find that the baby had already settled down and was sleeping soundly. Kissing Talia's head gently, Ziva continued to Lukah's crib, where the little boy was staring intently up at her.

"Ah, my _prezioso bambino_, can't sleep?" She cooed, stroking his fuzz-head softly. Ziva gently hummed out an old Hebrew song her mother used to sing to her when she was younger. Sometimes, she found herself wondering if she was like her mother. There was no doubt in her mind that her mother raised her without any help from her father, besides money to tide them over. Now that Gibbs and Jenny were gone, she felt so isolated from her old life, her American life. Of course, now she had Arim and Carmit to help raise the children. Arim had actually been a close friend of Ari's; she remembered when she was a young girl, she was convinced that she would marry Arim, and that he was perfect. Once the years went by, he became her older brother while Ari went off to travel and study. Now Arim was married to Carmit, a rather outgoing girl, whom Ziva approved of whole-heartedly. It had been decided that the pair would be living with Ziva, easing the tension off of the new mother, and finding an easy housing option for themselves.

Humming the last note, Ziva looked down to see Lukah slumbering, and quietly left the room, closing the door softly behind her. Collapsing onto the couch in the living room, Ziva rolled her neck, and a loud yawn escaped her throat.

"Babies finally asleep?" Carmit asked, handing Ziva a cup of warm milk. The Israeli nodded her head tiredly, eagerly accepting the drink and gulping it down. Carmit relaxed on the arm of the sofa, laughing quietly. "It seems that we'll be in for quite a ride when those children learn to use those legs!" Ziva shuddered at the thought, shaking her head.

"I can't believe you and your husband were crazy enough to actually do this. Oh god, three children yabbering at the same time! And if they have a mouth like their father, we might as well write our wills now!" She smiled fondly, remembering Tony's ramblings and spiels about movies that she would never watch. The babies already had such personalities; Natalia constantly craved attention, Timmy was quiet but fussy, and Lukah? Boy, that kid had a set of lungs on him!

"Ziva, get yourself some sleep. You've gotten only eight hours of sleep in these past three days!" Carmit helped Ziva off of the couch and helped her to her room.

Ziva trudged her way back to her room, knowing that after a couple of hours of sleep, she'd have another eight plus hours with the children, and several hours on the computer for Mossad. She had already started counting the days until they entered primary school, so she could finally get a little more rest.

_In America_

Tony surveyed the bull pen, finding the desk across from him empty once again. After Gibbs' insistence, Jenny had fired Sonia, who he heard was now working as a receptionist. The search for the new team member had already begun, and most of them seemed to be sub-par at best. If he was being honest with himself, he knew the reason they never lived up to expectations was because he measured everyone against Ziva. Ziva had the drive, the commitment, and the skills that everyone else seemed to lack. Leaning his head against the palm of his hand, he tried to clear his head, and started clicking around on his computer aimlessly.

McGee was pacing around Abby's lab, looking over lists upon lists of information that could possibly pertain to Ziva's case. Working on her computer, Abby had exhausted nearly every option available, with all the latest technology.

Strolling into the lab, Gibbs saw the same sight as usual; a determined Abby, and a stressed McGee.

"You two. Back to the cases!" He barked out, as Abby clicked back onto the screen she was _supposed_ to be working. "If you can't find her, you're not supposed to find her. What if you jeopardized a mission she was on by finding her? Just give it a rest!" Gibbs had gotten so tired of the delay in cases, the dejected expressions on his team's face, and all the false hope they had. He knew he was being cruel, but it was best for all involved if they believed that Ziva simply was recalled to Mossad on a case. Well, she was working for Mossad, but she wouldn't be doing any fieldwork for a long while.

"But, Gibbs, it's Ziva! We don't just give up on our friends!" Abby cried, crossing her arms over her chest. "What if she needs us to find her? What if she needs our help?"

"Abby, just stop it! Ziva's fine! Now as your superior, I am ordering you to drop this! Return to your cases, and do your job."

McGee observed everything quietly, a dejected look quickly crossing his face. "Got it, boss." He muttered, before turning to walk back upstairs.

Abby huffed, but turned resolutely back to her computer, working on the latest case. Gibbs and her both knew she probably wouldn't stop searching, she'd now just have to do it whenever he wasn't around.

Shaking his head to himself, Gibbs just wished his team would come back to normal.


End file.
